


Bloody Murder

by VSSAKJ



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Genre: Character Turned Into Vampire, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 14:35:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7761703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VSSAKJ/pseuds/VSSAKJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mari Mochizuki has a secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bloody Murder

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SilentSilhouette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentSilhouette/gifts).



> My Devil Survivor main character is always nick-named “Hero”; usually I’d write to avoid referencing him directly, so sorry if that's troublesome. Unfortunately your prompt… totally inspired me to explore an AU route, but I’d like to think I’ve kept it relatively within the confines of canon, so hopefully it’s something you enjoy as well!

Mari Mochizuki has a secret.

 

“Oh. He got me.”

Mari observes the wrinkled black skin pressed against her cheek and wonders if this is how Kaido’s brother felt as he died. She can feel the slow weep of blood from her neck and knows it’s fueling the flow pouring right back out the hole in Kudlak’s midsection, put there by her hands. She feels strangely warm and cold at the same time, and might even be amused.

Kresnik has borrowed her body for this moment, and had already warned her not to let the demon get in too close. Kudlak had cackled and outrun them in their retreat, goading Kresnik into killing him before they had recovered the white amniom powder in Mari’s bag. Now Kresnik snarls frustration through her mouth, even as his apologetic voice echoes in both her ears and her mind, “Mari. I cannot abide—”

Kudlak exhales a final sputter with a smile on his lips and Mari laughs, pressing her palm to her neck. She draws it back and gazes at the red on her skin, shaking her head. “It’s all right. I chose this. I’ll have to get used to it.”

 

“There ain’t nothing wrong with her!” Kaido shouts when Atsuro dares to wonder his thoughts aloud.

Atsuro throws his hands up defensively, ducking his head into an apologetic motion, “All right, all right! I was just wondering, you know. She just seems a bit…”

“A bit what?!” Kaido challenges, shouldering up into Atsuro’s space.

“Well, why didn’t she want to stick with us?” Yuzu queries, one finger tucked in against her lower lip, “We’ve been getting along pretty okay in this stupid lockdown, and Hero saved her. She seems nice but…”

“You too?” Kaido rounds on her, raising his fists in the air. Atsuro darts forward to snatch at one of Kaido’s wrists, insisting,

“Settle down, Kaido! We’re not saying anything bad about Mari, okay? We’re just worried about her.”

The expression on Kaido’s face hurtles through emotions, from frustration to an instant of fear to finally rest at infuriated despair. Gruff, he tugs his hand away from Atsuro and hunches his shoulders, glaring into middle distance, “So what are you gonna do about it? It’s the lockdown that changed shit.”

“Us?” Yuzu blinks. “What can we do?”

“Yeah, it was a stupid question anyway.” Kaido grumbles, whirling around before stalking away.

“Hey!” Atsuro calls after him, “You’re going too?”

“Yeah. See you round.” Kaido lifts a hand to wave a dismissive farewell and vanishes around the corner at the end of the block.

Yuzu sighs, putting her hands on her hips. “What was that all about?”

 

“So you see, I couldn’t possibly put you in that position before now.”

Hero looks her up and down; Mari is wearing the same white coat and unassuming skirt she wore when they joined forces with her and Kresnik to destroy Kudlak. But upon closer inspection, in the light of his COMP held aloft, he can see the pallour in her cheeks and a faint stain of red on her lips. He tilts his head to one side, and Mari offers her explanation.

“We had an encounter with Kudlak before we convened with you. It had this unfortunate side-effect. As a nurse, I’d rather not harm anyone, but times being what they are...” Mari smiles, a bit enigmatic. Her fingers twitch at her side.

“Hm.” Hero smirks, tugging the collar of his shirt to one side to demonstrate his understanding. “Kaido has ceded to my strength. Atsuro has stayed. Naoya comes. Mari. The blood of the King of Bel will make you stronger, won’t it?”

Mari’s smile stretches wider, far enough to reveal pointed canines, and she steps forward, murmuring against his neck, “It will, my liege.”

 

Mari Mochizuki has a secret, and only one person knows it.


End file.
